Tesco tech boss Guus Dekkers announces retirement

Guus Dekkers, Tesco’s retiring CTO

Tesco has announced its chief technology officer Guus Dekkers is to retire from the supermarket at the end of the year.

He is set to be replaced by Chris Blatchford, who is currently group chief technology officer at Kingfisher.

Blatchford will join Tesco and become a member of its executive committee in March 2027.

Dekkers joined Tesco in 2018 and became a member of the committee in 2021.

Tesco said he had played an increasingly important role as technology has formed a key part fo Tesco’s growth plans and praised him for modernising its technology capabilities, strengthening its digital, data and cyber foundations.

Blatchford is responsible for technology, data and product platforms across B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama and Brico Dépôt.

Tesco said he had a strong track record of driving digital transformation, modernising technology platforms and applying data and emerging technologies to improve customer and colleague experiences.

Tesco technology director Jane Mustoe will become acting chief technology officer from the beginning of November to provide continuity ahead of Dekkers’ retirement

“On behalf of everyone at Tesco, I’d like to thank Guus for his outstanding contribution and wish him every happiness in his retirement,” said Tesco CEO Ken Murphy.

His leadership has been central to strengthening our technology capabilities and delivering our strategic ambitions. I’m also grateful for the contribution he has made as a member of our executive committee and his commitment to developing technology talent.

“I’m delighted that we have found such a strong successor in Chris. He has led technology, data and digital transformation at scale and brings a combination of strategic vision, deep technical expertise and a strong track record of building high-performing teams. I am confident he will help us continue to strengthen the role technology plays in serving customers and colleagues and supporting our long-term growth.”

Dekkers said: “Leading the technology team at Tesco has been a huge privilege. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and of the talented team we have built. I know the team will continue to go from strength to strength under Chris’s leadership, and I wish him every success in the role. I’ll remain a passionate champion of their capability, commitment and expertise.

Blatchford added: “I’m really excited to be joining Tesco at a time when the technology agenda has never been more important. There are so many opportunities for technology to improve the experience for customers and colleagues across the Tesco ecosystem.

“Tesco has built an outstanding technology organisation under Guus’s leadership, and I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on that momentum and continue delivering technology that makes a real difference for customers, colleagues and the business.”